Subscriber unit and method for updating a function value

ABSTRACT

In a wireless communication system (10) including a transmission source (21), a wireless subscriber unit (26) contains a function key (52) for performing an operation on a function value (50). In response to receiving a change notification message (28), the transmission source (21) sends a message (38) to the wireless subscriber unit (26). The function value (50) is changed based on receipt of the message (38) sent from the transmission source (21).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to wireless subscriber units which contain atleast one function key.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Historically, wireless subscriber units have had the ability to receivea message, and perform standard functions in response to the messagereceipt such as storing the message, displaying the message, or alertingthe user of receipt of the message.

Today's wireless subscriber units are no longer restricted to just thesestandard functions. Manufacturers of wireless subscriber units are nowadding applications to provide value added services such as calculatorfunctions, stock market analysis, financial analysis, and taxcalculation. The wireless subscriber units perform calculations withinthese applications using function values accessed when a function keyhas been activated.

One drawback of today's wireless subscriber units is the inability tomodify the function value based on a received message or a geographicalre-location. As wireless applications become more prevalent in theindustry, and become more critical as business tools, the requirementfor such a capability increases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an electrical block diagram of a wireless communicationsystem;

FIG. 2 is an electrical block diagram of a wireless subscriber unit thatoperates within the wireless communication system of FIG. 1 inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating more detail of the operation shownin FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical block diagram of a wirelesscommunication system 10 is shown in accordance with the preferredembodiment of the present invention. The wireless communication system10 comprises a message input device, such as a conventional telephone 12connected through a conventional switched telephone network (PSTN) 14 byconventional telephone links 16 to a system controller 18. The systemcontroller 18 oversees the operation of at least one transmitter 20 and,in a preferred embodiment, at least one receiver 22, through one or morecommunication links 24, which typically are twisted pair telephonewires, and additionally can include RF, microwave, or other high qualityaudio communication links. The system controller 18 encodes and decodesinbound and outbound telephone addresses into formats that arecompatible with land line message switch computers. The systemcontroller 18 also functions to digitally encode and schedule outboundmessages, which can include such information as alphanumeric messagesfor transmission by the transmitter 20 to a plurality of wirelesssubscriber units 26 on a set of outbound radio frequency (RF) channels.The system controller 18 further functions to decode inbound messages,including unsolicited and response messages, such as a changenotification message 28 received by the receiver 22 from a wirelesssubscriber unit 26. A transmission source 21 comprises the systemcontroller 18 in combination with the transmitter 20 and the receiver22.

Examples of inbound messages are acknowledgments and designated responsemessages. Designated response messages are communicated in the inboundchannel in portions named data units. An acknowledgment is a response toan outbound message initiated at the system controller 18. An example ofan outbound alphanumeric message intended for a wireless subscriber unit26 is a page message entered from the telephone 12. The outboundmessages are included in outbound radio signals transmitted from aconventional antenna 30 coupled to the transmitter 20. The inboundmessages are included in inbound radio signals received by aconventional antenna 32 coupled to the receiver 22.

It will be appreciated that the wireless subscriber units 26 may be, forexample, one and two way pagers, conventional mobile cellulartelephones, conventional mobile radios, conventional mobile cellulartelephones or trunked mobile radios. In the following description, theterm wireless subscriber unit 26 will be used to refer to any of thewireless subscriber units listed above. Each of the wireless subscriberunits 26 assigned for use in the wireless communication system 10 has anaddress assigned thereto which is a unique selective call address in thewireless communication system 10. The address enables the transmissionof a message from the system controller 18 only to the addressedwireless subscriber unit 26, and identifies messages and responsesreceived at the system controller 18 from the wireless subscriber unit26. Furthermore, each of one or more of the wireless subscriber units 26also can have a unique telephone number assigned thereto which isentered by a user sending a message via the PSTN 14, to identify theintended wireless subscriber unit 26. The telephone number is uniquewithin the PSTN 14. A list of the assigned addresses and correlatedtelephone numbers for the wireless subscriber units 26 is stored in thesystem controller 18 in the form of a subscriber data base.

FIG. 2 is an electrical block diagram of a wireless subscriber unit 26that operates within the wireless communication system 10 of FIG. 1. Thewireless subscriber unit 26 comprises an antenna 34 for intercepting RFsignals from the wireless communication system 10. The antenna 34 iscoupled to a receiver 36 employing conventional demodulation techniquesfor receiving the communication signals transmitted by the wirelesscommunication system 10 such as a message 38. Included in acommunication signal of a message 38 may also be an attachment 39containing further required information for value added servicesutilization, for example. Radio frequency signals received by thereceiver 36 produce demodulated information, which is coupled to amessage processor 40 for processing received messages, and, optionally,attachments to messages.

To perform the necessary functions of the wireless subscriber unit 26,the message processor 40 is coupled to a memory 42 including a randomaccess memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), and an electricallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). Preferably, the messageprocessor 40 is similar to the M68HC11 micro-controller manufactured byMotorola, Inc. It will be appreciated that other similar processors canbe utilized for the message processor 40, and that additional processorsof the same or alternative type can be added as required to handle theprocessing requirements of the message processor 40.

The message processor 40 decodes an address in the demodulated data ofthe received message 38, compares the decoded address with one or moreaddresses stored in the memory 42, and when a match is detected,proceeds to process the remaining portion of the message 38 (and,optionally, attachment 39). Once the message processor 40 has processedthe message 38 (and any attachment 39), it stores the message 38 (andthe attachment 39) in the memory 42, and the message processor 40 sendsa command to the display 44 and/or alert 46 to notify the user that amessage has been received.

In a preferred embodiment, the wireless subscriber unit 26 includes atleast one application 48 to provide a value added service such ascalculator functions, stock market analysis, financial analysis, or taxcalculation. The wireless subscriber unit 26 performs calculationswithin this application 48 using a function value 50 stored in memory 42and accessed when a function key 52 has been activated. The function key52, responsive to a user input, such as a user depressing the functionkey button, initiates an input signal 56 to a controller 58. Thecontroller 58, in response to the input signal 56, accesses the functionvalue 50 stored in memory 42 and provides this function value 50 to theapplication 48 for use in operation of the application 48. Preferably,the controller 58 is similar to the M68HC11 micro-controllermanufactured by Motorola, Inc. It will be appreciated that other similarprocessors can be utilized for the controller 58, and that additionalprocessors of the same or alternative type can be added as required tohandle the processing requirements of the controller 58.

The addition of a controller to update a function value for anapplication expands the value and usefulness of the wireless subscriberunit for the end user. For example, if the end user was an internationaltraveler, the application 48 was an expense statement, and the functionvalue 50 was the current exchange rate to be used in operation of theexpense statement, having automatic updates of this exchange rate wouldgreatly simplify the traveler's activities.

In one embodiment of the invention, the wireless subscriber unit 26includes a transmitter 60 coupled to a transmit antenna 62 capable ofsending a change notification message 28 to the wireless communicationsystem 10. The transmitter 60 is coupled to a geographic location sensor64 which senses the location of the wireless subscriber unit 26. Whenthe geographic location sensor 64 senses a change in geographic locationof the wireless subscriber unit 26, it sends a signal 66 to thetransmitter 60 for initiation of a change notification message 28.Referring briefly to FIG. 1, the change notification message 28 isreceived by the receive antenna 32, which is coupled to the receiver 22,which then decodes the information and sends the data throughcommunication link 24 to the system controller 18. In response toreceipt of a change notification message 28, the system controller 18identifies a corresponding new function value and sends this functionvalue to the wireless subscriber unit 26. Upon receipt of the newfunction value by the wireless subscriber unit 26, the new functionvalue is stored in memory 42 replacing the current function value. Thenext time the function key is activated, the controller 58 will accessmemory 42 to retrieve the new function value, and use the new functionvalue in operation of the application 48.

The ability to change the function value 50 based on a notification ofgeographic relocation expands the value of wireless subscriber units 26with built-in applications by allowing real-time calculations withoutrequiring a manual function value change by the end user. For example,if the application 48 was a state sales tax calculator, as a wirelesssubscriber unit 26 moved from one state to another, the sales taxpercentage (function value 50) would be updated without any manual userinput required. Thus, whenever the user operated the function key 52 toperform the operation of the application 48, the correct sales taxpercentage would be calculated.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating how the controller 58 is programmedto operate in accordance with the invention. At step 68, the functionkey 52 is operated using a current function value. Next, in step 70, thesystem checks for communication of a message. If no message has beencommunicated, the process returns to the beginning, operating step 68using the same function value. If a message has been communicated, afunction value change is performed in step 72. The process then returnsto the beginning, operating step 68 using the new function value.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating more detail of the preferredoperation of the wireless communication system shown in FIG. 1. In step74, the function key 52 of the wireless subscriber unit 26 is operatedusing the function value 50 stored in memory 42. Next, in step 76, thesystem verifies whether or not a change notification message 28 has beensent from the wireless subscriber unit 26 to the transmission source 21.If a change notification message 28 has not been sent, the processreturns to the beginning, operating step 74 using the same functionvalue. If a change notification message 28 has been sent, a message 38is communicated from the transmission source 21 to the wirelesssubscriber unit 26 (step 78). Next, in step 80, the controller 58 of thewireless subscriber unit 26 checks if the message 38 is a new functionvalue. If the message 38 is a new function value, a function valuechange is performed by the controller 58 (step 86), and the processreturns to the beginning, operating step 74 using the new functionvalue. If the message 38 is not a new function value, the controller 58of the wireless subscriber unit 26 checks if a new function value is anattachment 39 to the message 38 (step 82). If a new function value is anattachment to the message 38, a function value change is performed bythe controller 58 (step 86), and the process returns to the beginning,operating step 74 using the new function value. If a new function valueis not an attachment to the message 38, the controller 58 may optionallyuse a predetermined algorithm programmed into the controller 58 tocreate a new function value (step 84). This predetermined algorithm maybe, for example, a database calculation based on a factor such as adate, or a command to continue using the most recent function value.Next, a function value change is performed by the controller 58 (step86), and the process returns to the beginning, operating step 74 usingthe new function value.

Although the invention has been described in terms of preferredembodiments, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variousalterations and modifications may be made without departing from theinvention. Accordingly, it is intended that all such alterations andmodifications be considered as within the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a wireless communication system in which awireless subscriber unit has a receiver for receiving a message sentfrom a transmission source and a function key which operates using afunction value, the transmission source including a receiver forreceiving a change notification message, a method for updating thefunction value, comprising:operating the function key using a firstfunction value; communicating the change notification message to thetransmission source, and the transmission source responding thereto bysending a message to the wireless subscriber unit; the wirelesssubscriber unit substituting a second function value for the firstfunction value; and operating the function key using the second functionvalue.
 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:the transmissionsource notifies the wireless subscriber unit of the second functionvalue.
 3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:the second functionvalue is sent as a message from the transmission source to the wirelesssubscriber unit.
 4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:the secondfunction value is sent from the transmission source to the wirelesssubscriber unit as an attachment to a message.
 5. A method as recited inclaim 1, wherein the wireless subscriber unit has a geographic location,and wherein the change notification message is communicated in responseto a change in a geographic location of the wireless subscriber unit. 6.In a wireless subscriber unit having a receiver for receiving a messagesent from a transmission source, a transmitter for sending a changenotification message to the transmission source, and a function keywhich operates using a function value, a method for updating thefunction value, comprising:operating the function key using a firstfunction value; sending the change notification message to thetransmission source; substituting a second function value for the firstfunction value in response to receiving a message; and operating thefunction key using the second function value.
 7. A method as recited inclaim 6, wherein:the wireless subscriber unit receives notification ofthe second function value.
 8. A method as recited in claim 7,wherein:the wireless subscriber unit receives the second function valueas a message.
 9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein:the wirelesssubscriber unit receives the second value function as an attachment to amessage.
 10. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the wirelesssubscriber unit has a geographic location, and wherein the changenotification message is sent in response to a change in a geographiclocation of the wireless subscriber unit.